County redistricting commission approves a new supervisor boundary map

There are 21,056 people living in Winneshiek County, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.  Of that figure, 10,050 people live in Decorah Township or the City of Decorah.

So when Winneshiek County has to redraw its supervisor district lines according to the results of the 2010 U.S. Census, there's little doubt that the major work would involve deciding what districts the Decorah area residents should be assigned to.

With several state regulations to comply with, County Redistricting Commission Chair Don Wurtzel said, "It was restricting to what we could do."  The redistricting plan endorsed by the commission on Tuesday assigns Decorah area residents to four different supervisor districts.  The plan, said County Auditor Ben Steines, "was one of the cleanest ways to break up Decorah Township."

The final vote on the new district plan is in the hands of the current Winneshiek County Board, which is expected to vote on the matter next Monday.

If approved by the county board, the new supervisor districts would not go into effect until January 15th of next year.